Re: The trouble with corrupted Nodes, Hedge Wizards and Cranky Judges IC thread 2

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Beatrice looked at Colin, trapping her Avatar into a physical container did not sound pleasant, but it was better than loosing it.
"I have heard the word, phylactery, I do not know much about it though. My mentor told me that for some mages, their Avatars manifest as a physical item, but other than that I know nothing, it is a rare condition and to create one of a normal Avatar...is such a thing even possible?"
The young Verbena said she looked down.
"Well they do say that the Virtual Adepts tie their Avatars into computer programs to duel, becoming incapable of working magick until the duel ends and their Avatars return to them, so I guess you can tie them into something but such a thing seam almost to fantastical to believe, but then who am I to say something can not be done, I have seen my mentor turn into a tree, and I changed the size of two ants onto to well, do what I could to defend my former Chantry, and we live in the same building with someone who are planning on leaving Earth to pretty much become a god, so I think being open minded is a prudent stance for a mage...it might make D'Angelo back off at least if she knew that my fallen Avatar would not be reborn...but I fear for it...for what it will feel if something like that was done to it...but...it is worth looking into at least."
Beatrice said and looked...very cautiously...optimistic, or at least more optimistic than before.
"But where would we even begin to look for information about something like that?"
The young Verbena nodded.
"Frankly Colin I would take a false hope to no hope."
She whispered in a sad, fearful voice.

[Adley]

Gwen stood outside the room and waited, reading, she quickly put the book away as Adley exited the office of her mentor, the young mage gave a quick curtsy and then looked down....I will be your guide for as long as you visit our Chantry Sir."

"Thank you Gwen, please lead me back to the entry hall," he said, gathering himself back together.

Again he kept his eyes and ears open for the hidden natures of the Chantry as he walked though it, suddenly glad that he had been taught by his mentor. He had always been grateful and respectful of him and his teachings but the contrast he was experiencing brought new light to the fact he could have been taught in a very different way and been fostered into a very different mage. He would not have traded the connection that he felt he had earned over time with his pater away for any about of dross.

// I had missed your request for a roll earlier and added it later to my post but I think you had already been replying, it was: Int+Enigmas: 8,5,6,3,5 (1 succ) from before; just in case you want another for this trip - 5,6,9,10,3 (2 succ)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Gwen smiles and nods.
"Please follow me Sir."
The apprentice said as she made her way back through the hallways, you begin to notice things, there was a system to the madness, subtle clues that would give those that knew what to look for a hint for where to go, while a enemy, let's say a Technocrat would be left lost and wandering in the seemingly endless corridors. On the left side of any corridor that left to important areas, the Council chambers, the offices of the Deacons and probably other areas there was a tapestry, painting or bust that showed a Founder, the path to social areas like the cafeteria seamed to be marked by the subtle inclusion of birds in the decor, there where probably more symbols as well, and you can not be sure, but you think that given a bit of time and a keep and observing eye then you can learn to navigate this maze by the decorations and color schemes used in the corridors and hallways.

Adley and Gwen made it back to the entrance hall. Hank stood there patiently waiting, his eyes as full of pain as before, he was carrying a bag and was probably waiting for someone to let him out as he could not call the guardian Umbrood himself since the only magick he seamed to possess was the apprentice degree of Correspondence. When Hank saw Adley he gave the young war mage a respectful bow before he gave Gwen a nod in greeting then he spoke.
"Ehm...Mr Roth Hicks hello again, may I impose on you to be allowed to pass though the portal with you when you leave the Chantry, if you are leaving that is."
The Mercere apprentice said in his tired voice as he glanced at the older mage.
"I have been granted permission to attend a class on psychology at the university."
He added to explain why he was leaving the Chantry grounds.

Gwen smiles to Hank then she looks at Adley and curtsy again.
"Do you need my services further Mr Roth Hicks?"
She asked politely.

[Adley]

Adley followed Gwen to the entrance hall and gave a nod of greeting to Hank. To Gwen, he said," No thank you that will be all. Good evening to you." Then he turned his attention to Hank and gave him a small smile. He hadn't forgotten his help from earlier and was quite happy to let him out with him. If for the fact that it was clear that he could not physically leave without assistance, he might have looked like any teenager waiting for a ride. "It is no trouble, Mister Jones. I am leaving now, in fact if you would care to join me."

When Adley called the Umbrood Guardian, he also added Hank Jones and his stated reason for leaving the Chantry along with his own.

[Warpmind]

Colin leaned back, thinking.
"Information like that... The library might have something. However, I can think of two venerable men who might have some firsthand knowledge of the ritual, and the risks. Master Steelhaven and Master Amadeus. They are both so old that I can't actually comprehend it - even two hundred years seems like such an overabundance of experience to me - and they are both, I should believe, sympathetic to your plight. I propose that after we've had a word with Adley, you go ask your mentor about it, while one of us goes to see Master Steelhaven... Come to think of it, I got the very distinct impression Master Steelhaven is planning on, hm, leaving us rather soon, so I suppose time is of the essence in that regard. Though, I doubt he would leave us in the middle of such... tumults."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Gwen gave another curtsy then she said.
"Good evening to you Mr Roth Hicks."
Then she quickly left, to attend to some other task, or perhaps to get some dinner herself.

Hank went through the motions of a smile, but it did not touch his eyes and he politely said.
"Thank you Mr Roth Hicks."
Then he looked down, for him attesting class with a bunch of sleepers where as alien as it was for most newly Awakened mages to start studying at a Chantry, he had spent much of his life a slave of the Technocracy, living and pursuing his own goals where a new experience for him.

Uragi came as Adley called him and again the spirit seamed, pleased to see the young mage, though off course emotions was hard to read on such a being, it diligently wove it's web and then stepped back into it's dark home once the portal is gone. Hank was obviously used to stepping through the portal, for he required to instructions he just could not open it himself.
"My mentor say one day I might learn to see spirits, though anything else will probably be beyond me."
The Mercere said, he kept close to Adley so the portal would not close before he to was through.
"But then I will not complain, seeing them is more than what most people will ever get the chance to do."
Hank said then once the pair of them was trough he said to the wall.
"Thank you."
To the Umbood.
"Did he hear me Mr Roth Hicks?"
Well yes Uragi did hear him, it could hear and see what happened near the portal, but it did not really understand what the boy told him other than that Hank was friendly towards it.

Beatrice nodded as she folded her hands in her lap.
"You are right Colin, both my mentor and Mr Steelhaven might know something about phylacteries."
The young Verbena picked up her phone and checked her watch.
"I should wait for the Dreamspeaker here, I will not lie the thought of getting to know a new person right in this situation, and especially someone like him scares me, but I think I can do it. I...to do not believe that Master Steelhaven will just leave us in the middle of such troubles, but yes his journey here on Earth is over and I hope he find what he is looking for wherever he is going. I think however that we need to be wise about how we spend our time, so perhaps you should see if Master Steelhaven is busy or if he is willing to talk with you, and I should probably try to get those fifteen minutes of rest while I wait for our new friend."
Beatrice suggested, she looked rather sad and frightened and she was obviously very, very tired, but knowing there might be a solution gave her something to do other than just wait with her fate up in the air and that chance for action obviously did her good, Verbena was practical after all.
"I think I will be better able to deal with the Dreamspeaker after fifteen minutes of rest anyway, I mean as I am now, I am hardly fit to entertain guests."
Beatrice said and tried to smile at her own joke but it ended up being rather half hearted.

[Adley]

"Greetings," he said in Enochian to Uragi as he arrived.

Adley checked there was no one in sight before he escorted Hank through the gate. In response to his question, he replied, "He can hear you but understanding is another matter. Spirits have different methods of communication; one method we use is to contact Umbrood is a particular language that we have developed. That is what you hear when Hermetics stand before the Gate to call the Guardian. Of course different spirits vary in their ability to communicate with us as we do with them. But it knows your presence and probably some of your regard towards it. Do spirits interest you?" he asked, then turned towards the college. "And do you have a way back after class?"

Once in the open of sleeper society he changed the course of the conversation back to the practical reason why he'd been let out. He did not want to bombard him with questions however, so he waited a little while as he walked with him towards the main cluster of buildings. "Are you taking psychology as part of the freshman course load?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

The young Mercere glanced at Adley then he nodded.
"Yes Sir, I assumed it was Enochian, I have heard of it but not bee taught it, not yet, I did not know spirits communicated by it though, I only thought it was a secret language."
The young messenger said before he stepped though the portal.
"Yes they interest me, they pure in a way, perfect in their purpose."
Hank replied when Adley asked him if he was interested in spirits.
"My mentor is due back after delivering letters at 10, 30, she will let me back into the Chantry Sir."
The Mercere confirmed. As they walked then he looked down.
"No Sir, I am not allowed to take a full ehm...what is it called? education? at this establishment, but psychology interest me so I have been allowed to take that...I want to help people, that is what I want to do with my life, I want to help people."
Hank said and smiled though again the smile was forced and never reached his sad eyes.

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded.
"Very well; I shall see Master Steelhaven right away, then. You rest up a little - try the salmon sandwiches, they are excellent. I will be back after I've spoken with him, in case you need a bit of assistance with the Dreamspeaker."
Grabbing a ham and cheese sandwich, he rose, bowed, and left.

Outside the apartment, he whipped up his phone and sent a quick text message to Adley: B. seems more at ease, currently resting and expecting a guest. Did mention Phyl. option, heading to G.S. to ask now, returning to B. after, just in case.

Then, he chomped down on the sandwich, and headed for George Steelhaven's residence.

[Adley]

'It is a secret language and one that we can use to communicate with them," he replied. Then he smiled a little. "Why did you think it is kept secret?" What was the function of a secret language, or a 'dead' language or Words of Power?

He listened to why he was interested in spirits and thought about that for a few moments. Pure, perfect in purpose. He thought of Uragi, bound to the Gate and given a specific duty and given a purpose to fulfill. Or the Umbrood that had guarded the villa, now partially embedded inside of him, his Name partially writ there...'that which was with him'.

He nodded when he told him that he had a way back inside and then looked at him. He was a somber young man after all that had happened to him but determined to help people. It was admirable. He was glad that he had a good mentor, someone that would understand what he wanted to cultivate. Adley looked past his smile and into his eyes and replied, "Mister Jones, I believe you Will do this. You helped me earlier today and spared me some grief. You were at the right place at the right time and had the right skill but above those things, you were willing to help me."

Who knew how much longer the others would have been at the car, attracting attention and being upset, if he'd had to find Bruce without any aid? Adley fell quiet again as they walked towards the river. Coming towards his building, he looked towards him again. "This is where we part for the evening. Enjoy your class, Mister Jones and give my greetings to your mentor."

As he walked towards the lecture hall, he heard his phone alert. Picking it out and setting it to vibrate, he read the message and wondered what state Beatrice had been in that Colin had told her about the phylactery. They would have to talk about it in the morning. But the mention of a guest made him frown somewhat; it was too vague. It took him a moment to place the initials of the Primus in relation to the phylactery.

He quickly texted Colin back: <I will see him later re: o.op. Keep apprised. Lecture now.>

He put the phone inside his shirt pocket so he could tell if it went off and then headed inside the hall, full of students. According to their exercise on the Fragment one by Thrasymachus, they needed more work on declinations. He walked inside the language lecture room, glancing around and then took the stack of papers out. On each one the following passage was painstakingly translated to varying degrees of success and with corrections added:

I could wish, men of Athens, to have belonged to that long-past time when the young were content to remain silent unless events compelled them to speak, and while the older men were correctly supervising affairs of State. But since Fate has so far advanced us in time that we must obey others as rulers but must suffer the consequences ourselves; and when the worst results are not the work of Heaven or Fate but of our administrators, then it is necessary to speak. A man either has no feeling, or has too much patience, if he is willing to go on offering himself up to whoever wishes as the object of their mistakes, and is ready to take on himself the blame for the guile and wickedness of others.

No, the past is enough for us—that we have exchanged peace for war, reaching the present through dangers, so that we regard the past with affection and the future with fear; and that we have sacrificed concord for enmity and internal disturbance. Others are driven to excesses and civil strife through a surfeit of prosperity; but we behaved soberly in our prosperity. We were seized with madness at a time of adversity, which usually makes others act soberly. Why then should anyone delay to say what he knows, if he happens to feel grief at the present state of affairs, and to believe that he has a means of bringing this to an end?

Adley put his bag down below the bench and sat, waiting for the class to fill up and trying to keep his mind alert. He was starting to feel fatigued but there was too much to do to stop now. If he stopped, he wouldn't be able to complete everything else that was left to the evening, the events of the last few days would creep into his mind, out from his own spirit. He really could do with a cup of coffee.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Beatrice smiles to Colin and nods as he begin to leave.
"Thank you."
She whispered, she thanked him for being there, for well being a friend, many would have just dropped one such as her as if she where a nasty piece of garbage, but both Colin, Adley and the rest had been kind, compassionate. Bestrice found herself hoping she could repay them one day. When Colin left Beatrice laid down on her sofa, after moving a stack of books, she was still terrified, but she had a bit of hope and she knew she needed at least some rest before the Dreamspeaker arrived, closing her eyes the young Verbena drifted off into a dark, dreamless but uneasy sleep.

Colin you knock on George Steelhaven's door and the old mage open he smiles.
"Ah yes there you are, right on time Mr Wainwright, the tea is done, though I fear it is not as good as the one my assistant, Miss White makes, but the young woman have been so interested in the second degrees...what you would call Hedge Wizards, I just could not make her work today."
George said, as if he had been expecting Colin to come by, he probably had, a mage that old had a tendency to know things. George motioned Colin inside as he went to his neat, clean kitchen and fetched a tray of two tea cups, one pot and a plate of small, round cookies and put it on his table.
"So Mr Wainwright do I presume correctly if I say that you have questions for me? Ah do not be alarmed at times I...forget what is the present and what is the future, my mind have not escaped completely unscathed from the ravages of Paradox, but I keep it in check, I make sure I know as little as possible about the futures of others, so I only knew that you where coming, not the reason why."
The old mage said as the poured up two cups of tea and sat down in his chair to listen to what Colin had to say.

Hank looked at Adley when he said that he had helped him, and a hint of a true smile appeared on his face, though it quickly faded.
"Thank you, and thank you for the...ehm...ride Mr Roth Hicks."
The young Mercere said as he gave a hint of a bow, he realized that people generally did not bow among sleepers today so the gesture was small and subtle.
"I will give my mentor your regards Sir, good evening."
The young mage, for he was a mage even if just barely, as he walked towards the psychology department and the class he wanted to attend.

Adley's class quickly filled up as young men and women all but flooded in the doors, some had interested, curious looks on their faces, they really wanted to be here, others where here because their parents, that even if they where around 19 and of legal age to do whatever they wanted, still influenced them. Slowly the class settled down, talk slowly faded until the lecture hall finally where silent enough for Adley to begin his lecture.

[Warpmind]

Colin arched an eyebrow at George Steelhaven's admission.
"Really, now, Sir? Didn't Merlin himself have something of the same problem, by certain accounts? You were rather spot on, though - I do have a question for you. It relates to, well, a possibility Mister Roth Hicks mentioned to me a little while ago. It seems it might be... possible to place one's Avatar in an external container, a so-called Phylactery. I am, admittedly, only familiar with the word from fiction, in that it was the receptacle for an undead mage's soul, but I would presume fiction got the concept from somewhere..."
Sitting down and tasting the tea, he added, "As for the tea, it is quite a decent blend, though I might suggest brewing it with a small pinch of cinnamon?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Ah Merlin, well from the descriptions he might have had just that, I am in good company then Mr Wainwright."
The old mage said and gave a friendly smile.
"Ah yes I did mention the possibility of creating a man made phylactery for Mr Roth Hicks, I have only heard of it being accomplished once, usually a phylactery are formed for unknown reason at some rare magi's Awakening and I assure you Mr Wainwright they are far from undead."
The old mage smiles as he sips his tea.
"I am familiar with this concept from fiction yes...I might not read much novellas but this place is full of young mages that do, you are thinking about a lich yes? Well no, someone with a phylactery is not that, there are liches yes, and are they undead, well I guess you might say that, but their Avatars reside where they always have...no no young man...hum how should I explain this concept in you Paradigm...ah yes, what was that television play my friend Alexander's young apprentice spoke of again called...oh yes I remember now, Charmed."
George smiles as he leans back.
"Ah do not look so shocked Mr Wainwright, I may be old but I keep up to date on entertainment of the day, though I must admit I prefer the treater, but in either case the genre of fantasy is beneficial to us, it keeps sleepers dreaming of magick which reduces our enemies grip on reality, I quite like it. In either case I have not had the time to watch such frivolous things but I heard my friend's apprentice talking about it, the character's in the series book would be pretty close to what a phylactery is yes...an item, serving as the source of their magick, which's removal would render them powerless, but they are not liches by any definition of the word."
George said and ignored the absurdity that an at least six hundred years old mage, as some speculated his age to be, centuries old at least, who was papering to leave the physical plane to try to become in effect a mage god, where sitting there discussing a fantasy TV series.
"Cinnamon you say...hum...yes indeed that would round off the flavor, many thanks Mr Wainwright."
George said and gave another warm smile.

[Warpmind]

((OOC: Colin look shocked? The man has a poker face - NOTHING makes him *look* shocked unless he intends to! ))

Colin sipped his tea.
"Charmed? I'm... afraid I'm only familiar with it by name. I don't watch much TV, really - I find the constant commercial breaks too bothersome. The whole 'We must find the ancient MacGuffin of Mystic Power to save the world, as soon as we've told you about this brand new toothpaste which whitens your teeth and fixes hunger problems in corporate boardrooms' pacing is a bit too staccato for my tastes. As for the Phylactery, I honestly did not expect it to have an actual connection to liches; after all, the undead aren't... wait, what? There really is such a thing?"
Colin's face didn't betray his immense surprise at that fact, though his voice certainly did.
"Uhm, forgive me, that rather derailed me a bit. So you are saying a Phylactery generally occurs naturally for certain Mages, rather than being an artificially created device?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

George smiles a little at the Orphans descriptions of television.
"Well like I said Mr Wainwright I prefer the tester, or just listening to younger mages talk about what they watch and read, in a way that let me see the world with young eyes again, I miss raising apprentices, my youngest one is an Adeptus Majoris now."
The old man said as he sipped his tea before he continue speaking.
"Oh yes there are liches, they are not common as the price paid for such immortality is high, and they are even less common since the Order met up with the other Traditions and we got better ways to prolong our lives, but there are, troubles to getting old, I spend quite some time just working to reduce my own Paradox which is caused by my age alone, the same do both Jeffry Morgan and Amadeus Nassa, most magi who pass oh a 150 or so leave Earth to live in a Umbral realm of some sort, a lich would not have such problems, but non the less, the price they pay is heavy, few would choose it, but yes that is getting of topic. Now to phylacteries, yes for most who possess such an Avatar, in fact for all but one who possess such an Avatar, it happened naturally, it is just how their Avatar is formed. Now it happened allot rarer before...before when when they not known as Avatars but Fonts, I suspect such abnormalities to are at the end of the day caused by how Paradox make our reality more rigid, but natural it is."
The old mage said as he picked up a cookie and dipped it in his tea before eating it.
"In fact a good friend of mine have a phylactery, it was just there one day, the day the Awakened."

[Warpmind]

Colin nibbled on a cookie of his own.
"Hmmm, apparently, some of the Virtual Adepts can detach their Avatar and put it in a combat program for dueling purposes... I wonder if that process might be worth looking into for the purpose of creating an artificial Phylactery? Or perhaps you know of a book that might be informative to that end?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Yes i have heard of such duels though I have never seen one myself, as my Paradigm do not support an understanding of them."
The old mage said then he gesticulate with his half eaten cookie.
"Hum...if I am not mistaken though the leader of the team of Masters of what is called the Spirit Sphere that did manage to create a artificial phylactery is a Virtual Adept...what was her name? hum...oh yes Cita Telar, that is it."
George said as he ate the last of his cookie. You remember the name of this Virtual Adept from Beatrice's court documents, she was listed as one of the Masters who had examined Beatrice's Avatar to confirm that it was indeed fallen before the Verbena's trial.
"Miss Telar is the best there is when it comes to Avatars, so can I recommend a book no, but talking with Miss Telar herself might..."
The old mage mushed then he picked up another cookie and dunked it into his tea again.
"Now I do not personally know Cita Telar, but I happen to know that Jeffry Morgan do, ah our Security Chief hate all Technomancers it is said, but for some reason that hate seam to exclude Miss Telar..."
Geaorge said and gave the Orphan an conspiratorial wink.

[Warpmind]

Colin arched an eyebrow.
"You are proposing we give our dear old Security Chief an... opportunity to pursue a matter of the heart while tending to Chantry business, perhaps? An intriguing notion. I was already aware he has something of a soft spot for sincere talent, but... ah, hardly my place to speculate; let those with an actual inclination to pursue that sort of happiness do so. Regarding Madame Telar, do you know what her stance on Miss Alexander's Avatar was in the proceedings? Would she be the sort to seek to purge it at all costs, or would she be intrigued by the prospect of attempting to extract, contain and possibly repair it?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

George leaned back as the regarded Colin.
"It is not my time to speculate on what is between Miss Telar and Jeffry Morgan, but they are friends at least, I know that much however I suspect the young Master of Spirit is already on her way, she is the best the Traditions have on Avatars and well, there are matters where Jeffry would call in the best, no matter if he liked them or not."
The old mage was off course referring to the Umbrood splinter stuck in Adley's soul, though he did not come out and say it, if the young Hermetic had not informed his Cabalmates about such an injury, far be it for him to reveal a potential weakness of the young Flambeau.
"I am merely saying that if you wish to know more about the possibility of creating an artificial phylactery then the only person who have pulled such a feat of, would be the place to start."
The Archmage then looked at Colin and his eyes where serous.
"Do know this though, taking a healthy Avatar and using a experimental method to try to make it into something that it is not, well that is dangerous at best, this is a long shot Mr Wainwright, a very long shot."
George sigh then he added.
"As for Master Telar's opinion on widderslaintes, well she have saved one before, remember this woman was once a Technocrat before her Tradition left the Union, I think she value actions more than birthright and in deeds Miss Alexander is perhaps the most innocent of all of us, not that I would presume to speak for the attitudes and opinions of another mage."

[Adley]

By the time the lecture ended he'd deviated from his lesson plan quite a bit, his mind wanting to wander to pursue a point or in response to the class itself. There were the inevitable students that had tuned out the moment they sat down but also some that seemed to truly wanted to learn and it was those that offset the former in a large lecture. He assigned the last paragraphs of On the Style of Demosthenes Fragment I; next week was the start of Plato's The Republic. He turned the class loose for the night a little early, nodding to students that came up to grab their papers on the way out. Rubbing a hand across his face, he fought off a yawn and collected his things together to leave in the wake of the crowd. He exited the building and took a deep breath of night air, heading back to his car and back home.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley you get to your car and start to drive home to Steelhaven, it would have been a beautiful night outside if you did not have to worry about a corrupted Node, the Nephandi and a revenge crazed Enforcer hellbent on Gilgulling one of your Cabalmates. The air was slightly chill, but there where not a cloud in sight, a half moon shone down and illuminated the cold streets bellow and the constellations was clearly visible. You had just taken of from the main road and left the life and crows of club goers behind as you neared the industrial and poor residential areas that where Steelhaven's neighborhood, you where still a good ten minutes drive from home though when you saw her, a woman limping down an ill lit road, at first you might assume she was a bar hopper who had hopped a bit to far in her drunken state and had managed to get lost down a ill lit side road where no woman should be walking alone, then you notice that this woman had already come across danger, and her limping and unsteady walk might not be caused by alcohol. Blood dripped after the figure and stained the pavement she walked on, one black shoe was missing but it's owner did not seam to notice or care. The woman's black suit had once been expensive, but now it was thorn and stained with her blood, her hair had been kept in a no nonsense bun, but the neat hairdo was now coming loose and red stained pale blond strands now waved in the slight breeze.

It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that this unfortunate woman was the victim of a robbery gone wrong, or worse that she had been raped or otherwise assaulted and beaten, but there where two things that did not fit this scenario, the first was her right shoulder, it was mangled and broken, worse though it was burned and charred flesh could be seen where expensive fabric had been rent and burned away. As a Flambeau you do know what the wound cause by a fireball look like, a fireball cast but a mage who where not to skilled, a more powerful willworker would have burned his enemy to a crisp, the other thing amiss about the wounded woman was that she was grasping a weapon in her left hand, with he right arm just hanging there limp she held her gun gingerly in her left, there where still determination in the way she walked though, she moved with a purpose.

(Please give me a Intelligence plus Mage Lore diff 6 and if you do not have Mage Lore then Occult diff 8 to recognize the weapon.)

[Warpmind]

Colin nodded sagely over his cup.
"Of course, of course. But in Miss Alexander's own words, she'd rather have a false hope now than none at all - I believe she would consider the potential benefits, however long a shot it is, to outweigh the risks. Of course, that assumes it can actually be done for someone with Beatrice's approach to magic. I suppose that in my case, as an example, it might be feasible to contain my Avatar in a pocket mirror or somesuch item, as I've only seen it as a reflection of my uninjured self... but I wouldn't want to risk it for myself without some impressively strong reason."
He gulped down the rest of the tea.
"The thing is, Miss Alexander's Avatar isn't what our society in general would define as 'healthy', is it? At any rate, you are correct, it is improper to presume to speak for another, Mage or Sleeper; my question was merely referring to what you had observed. I should have been clearer on that point."
He carefully put the teacup back down, and made to rise.
"Thank you for your valuable counsel; but I believe Miss Alexander is expecting an unusual guest from the Dreamspeakers, and might require some moral support. I can understand her anxiety in that respect all too well - I, too, am uncomfortable with strangers, but at least I can manage it so long as I am not outnumbered. Unless there is a final piece of sage advice, I'm afraid I need to be going."

[Adley]

Adley felt his fatigue fade as adrenaline spiked its way through his system. "Damnati," he muttered as he eased off on the gas pedal, trying to get a better look at the situation to see if they were an enemy or a victim. His other hand was reaching for his telephone.

//Adley has OoH mage lore - so I rolled Int+Occult - 7, 2, 10, 2, 2 (1 succ)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

George smiles a little then he puts his cup down.
"We do not know much about Avatars, and part of the reason is that they do not appear the same way to everyone, you might see yours in a mirror, while I should I look at it might see a reflective crystal, or a dragon with mirrored scales, your Avatar appear that way to you, because that is the way it know you need to relate to it. Should you learn enough to learn to see an Avatar yourself, you might see Miss Alexander's little fallen angle in a mirror as well."
The old mage said.
"It is more a question on if Miss Alexander can adjust to having a phylactery with her style of magick, than if her Avatar can...however they are self conscious entities no matter what else they are, and the artificial phylactery that where successfully made was created from the splintered remains of a terrible accident as a last hope to save that soul, Miss Alexander have a very powerful, and very much not shattered Avatar who might not take kindly to any attempts to change it's nature."
The Archmage shrugs.
"Well healthy and healthy, it is not ill, or wounded or hurt and as powerful as it was before it was corrupted I would assume, it is more fitting to say that it is wrong than to say it is not healthy. Hitler, the sad little man, was healthy enough and probably could have lived to a ripe old age, but he was very much wrong."
George stood to see his guest to the door.
"A Dreamspeaker you say, how...interesting."
He said with a bit of a smile.
"It have been long since those who walk with dreams have set foot in this Chantry, but yes I see that the young lady might require some moral support before meeting a stranger right now yes...no I think for this time I have give all the advice I can...please do give Miss Alexander my regards, not all Guernicus are against her."
George said and gave a warm smile.

The woman is carrying an enforcer, the weapon of choice for Technocrats, at least among those who could afford it, the weapon was a lesser talisman it was said, and often if a Technocrat where trusted enough to have one, they also had a few Primium bullets among their other ammunition to go along with it, the wounded woman where more likely than not a Technocrat and she had gone a few rounds against someone who could cast fireballs.

[Adley]

Just to top the day off, he thought ruefully.

It was tempting to try to take the matter into his own hands and finish what the fireball-wielding mage had set out to do but, no. He knew his pater would want to take her in for questioning, or failing that not have him shot full of Primium like his brother. To boot, the only weapons and tools he had on him were a fireax and a tire iron, and small devices used for basic workings in his jacket. Not the best time to engage. A wounded enemy was a dangerous one and they were on a street full of sleepers who could get hurt in the crossfire. And whomever had winged the Technocrat might be injured as well, and either an enemy or ally that needed assistance. It could not have happened too long ago or too far away, judging by the woman's state. He did not want to alert her that he was following her but tried to keep her in sight and pace traffic while he dialed Colin, Richard, the Chief, Jon and Bruce on a joint call.

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